Golf: Tour Look to Woods 'history'

It takes a brave man to throw himself between a PGA Tour executive and a marketing opportunity, so it is all credit to Tiger Woods for at least attempting to dampen the hype surrounding his appearance at the Buick Invitational, starting today in San Diego, where the world No1 will have a golden opportunity to extend his winning streak to seven successive PGA tournaments.

Woods maintains that his brilliant 2006 run came to an end at Wentworth in September, when he lost to Shaun Micheel in the World Match Play, not a PGA event. On his website Woods has said: "My streak ended when I lost in the first round of the world match play."

But the American tour, which has relaunched itself this year in a desperate attempt to recapture the interest of domestic fans, has an obvious interest in promoting this so-called streak. So, too, has the Florida-based Golf Channel, which bought the rights to the tour in the US for the next 15 years and needs all the viewers it can get - for the first two rounds of the Buick, doubtless it will be showing plenty of Woods, who sat out the first three events this year, and his playing partners John Rollins, another American, and the Australian John Senden.

What makes Woods' run such a marketing department dream is the fact that if he wins on Sunday at Torrey Pines, where he is defending the title, he will be four victories short of Byron Nelson's record of 11 successive PGA victories, set in 1945. And Woods is expected to play the next four PGA "approved" events in Los Angeles, Tucson, Florida and Augusta.

Since Woods' defeat by Micheel he has been part of the losing US Ryder Cup team at the K-Club, won a World Golf Championship event in the American Express tournament at the Grove near Watford in October, and announced that he is to become a father later this year.

He has also finished second twice, at events in China and in Japan, where he was beaten in a play-off by Ireland's Padraig Harrington, although it would take a very assiduous statistician with a very large magnifying glass to find reference to these defeats in the pre-tournament coverage of the Buick. "If Tiger extends his streak to seven, he will get some more time to work on his game because his appearance at the Dubai Desert Classic won't count in terms of the record," one reporter wrote.

But to write off the Dubai tournament as nothing more than a chance for the world No1 to fine-tune his game in time for the next PGA tour event is insulting and ignorant: insulting because the Dubai event has long been acknowledged as one of the most prestigious titles on the calendar; ignorant because it fails to recognise the sport has changed enormously since Nelson set his record.

As the Ryder Cup has consistently proved, the US circuit is no longer the be-all-and-end-all of world golf.

This rush to manufacture history out of thin air is all the more puzzling because 2007 really could be the year in which Woods rewrites the record books. The unpredictable Phil Mickelson aside, the world No1 is now so far ahead of the other competitors that it is difficult to see where his next defeat is coming from.

He won two major championships last year, when he was preoccupied for a long period by the illness and subsequent death of his father, Earl. This season there will hopefully be nothing like that. He arrived in San Diego this week fresh from a skiing break, followed by a few days spent in Florida working with his coach Hank Haney where the search for improvement continued, as ever.

Even if none were found it is difficult to see anyone beating Woods at Augusta in the Masters during April. From there it is on to Oakmont, for the US Open - a long, attritional course which might suit Woods, presuming that he can drive the ball straight.

That would give Woods a repeat of the feat of 2000-01, when he won four majors in a row, and then comes Carnoustie, which hosts this year's Open in July - another long and difficult track but Woods has played there before, likes the place and will start as favourite.

Of the year's four major championship sites only Southern Hills, Oklahoma, venue for the PGA in August, would seem to militate against a Woods' triumph. It is short by modern standards, narrow and some of the greens are bordering on the silly. But if he can get there having won the other three, it is entirely plausible that he could win the fourth by sheer force of will. Now that really would be history.

Tiger's 'winning' streak


The Open July 23, 2006

Woods returns from mourning death of his father to win 11th major.

Buick Open August 6

Becomes the youngest player to reach 50 tournament victories.

PGA Championship August 20

Wins major twice on same course and is the first to do so.

Bridgestone Invitational August 27

Claims title for a third time after beating Stewart Cink in a play-off.

Deutsche Bank September 4

Overhauls Vijay Singh with a final-round 63 for his fifth straight title.

World Match Play September 14

Shock 4&3 defeat by Shaun Micheel in first round at Wentworth.

WGC American Express October 1

Woods leads the field by eight shots in sixth consecutive strokeplay win.

HSBC Champions November 12

Upstaged by Korea's Yang Yong-eun who beats world No1 by two shots.

Dunlop Phoenix November 19

Loses only second play-off as Padraig Harrington wins at second extra hole.